"Repaying the favor...?" Ole Lu clearly didn’t understand his words.

Qi Xia only shook his head in resignation.

The middle-aged man before him was timid, greedy, prone to lying, impulsive, and easily angered—he seemed to embody every flaw one could imagine. Yet, for some reason, Qi Xia couldn’t bring himself to dislike him.

Deciding to drop the subject, Qi Xia walked directly toward Zhang Shan. The fact that these people had refrained from attacking him felt rather strange.

"Why are you tying up my teammate?" Qi Xia asked.

Zhang Shan shifted, easing the pain in his back, and replied, "Didn’t lǎozi already say? These are Chu Tianqiu’s orders. You punk were pretty rough earlier; I’m surprised Chu Tianqiu didn’t have me tie you up too..."

"If Chu Tianqiu can’t provide a valid reason, my next move will be even harsher." Qi Xia’s tone was grave, leaving no doubt that he wasn’t bluffing.

"F*ck, can’t you just talk like a normal person? Whatever—Chu Tianqiu already decided to see you himself." Zhang Shan waved toward the distance, and Specs hurried over, revealing yet another familiar face to Qi Xia.

"Zhang Shan, are you okay?" Specs asked.

"I’m fine. Take this person to see Chu Tianqiu," Zhang Shan replied, waving his hand. He adjusted his back and helped the young man Qi Xia had knocked down, leading Qiao Jiajin away.

Specs sized up Qi Xia and said, "You must be Mr. Qi, right? Please, follow me."

With a guarded look, Qi Xia nodded and followed. The two proceeded down the corridor until they reached the door of a classroom at the southernmost end.

Specs gently knocked. "Mr. Chu, Miss Yun, I’ve brought him."

"Let him in," a man’s voice responded from inside.

Without waiting for Specs to speak, Qi Xia pushed the door open and stepped in.

Yun Yao sat at a desk, applying nail polish, while a stranger of refined demeanor was writing something on the blackboard with swift strokes.

As soon as Qi Xia entered, both of them simultaneously shifted their gaze toward him.

"Ah! You’re that handsome man in distress!" Yun Yao exclaimed joyfully, pointing at Qi Xia. "Have you decided to become my {rumored boyfriend}?"

Ignoring Yun Yao, Qi Xia fixed his gaze on the unfamiliar man.

"Qi Xia?" The stranger smiled, setting down the chalk and dusting his hands. "It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Chu Tianqiu."

Qi Xia gave a slight nod and stepped forward as Specs discreetly closed the door.

Yun Yao stood and walked toward him, a refreshing fragrance wafting from her. "Qi Xia, I’m so glad you’re here!"

Chu Tianqiu also approached, maintaining an amiable smile. "I deeply regret that we must meet under such circumstances. I trust you’ll forgive me."

"Chu Tianqiu, tell me your reasons for doing this." Without hesitation, Qi Xia cut to the chase.

"You mean... the fact that I’m holding sway over your comrades?" Chu Tianqiu offered a slight smile. "How should I put it? [N O V E L I G H T] This is our territory, and frankly, I’m not obligated to explain myself."

"Let me confirm this..." Qi Xia’s voice was calm but stern. "You lured us here under false pretenses, captured my teammates, and still refuse to explain?"

"And what of it?" Chu Tianqiu adjusted his glasses. "Qi Xia, since this is your first time at {Passage to Heaven}, you might not know the rules."

"And what are those rules?" Qi Xia asked.

"I am the rule," Chu Tianqiu replied with a smile that made Qi Xia uneasy. "As long as everyone listens to me, I’ll eventually lead us out."

Qi Xia looked at him with a cold, unreadable expression, as if silently calculating his next move. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere settled around them.

"Oh my... what’s all this tension about?" Yun Yao stepped in with a playful smile, trying to ease the mood. "It’s your first meeting, no need to make it so serious. We’ll all be teammates soon."

Noticing that neither man responded, Yun Yao recalled Chu Tianqiu’s words about {kings' paths never crossing}. Perhaps they truly weren’t suited to be teammates, but both were sharp-minded and indispensable; losing either would be a heavy blow for {Passage to Heaven}.

"Can you at least give this idol some face?" Yun Yao smiled, pulling Qi Xia’s hand and then Chu Tianqiu’s. "You two should shake hands in front of me; from now on, we’re good friends."

"There is no need," Qi Xia withdrew his hand.

"Indeed," Chu Tianqiu also retracted his. "Yun Yao, don’t worry. Qi Xia is an intelligent man and seems to understand the {rules} of this place."

"I want to confirm one last thing," Qi Xia said, frowning slightly. "You see yourself as a {local tyrant}, where everyone who joins {Passage to Heaven} must obey you, no dissent allowed—is that it?"

"Your wording’s a little sharp, but the essence is there," Chu Tianqiu smiled faintly, pushing up his glasses. "I’m not a {local tyrant}, just the one in charge here. Without a {unifying leader}, the group would collapse, and none of us would make it out."

Yun Yao shook her head in exasperation. "Qi Xia, don’t misunderstand. Chu Tianqiu is our head, yes, but his goal is to lead us out of here. We’re still {teammates}."

Qi Xia nodded again, then suddenly turned to Yun Yao. "Could you step back a bit?"

"Step back?" Yun Yao blinked, then asked playfully, "What’s wrong? Is my scent unpleasant?"

"No, it’s quite nice," Qi Xia replied, "but I’d still prefer if you took a couple of steps back."

After a pause, Yun Yao nodded and stepped back. "Ah, I get it—you want to check out my figure, right?" She twirled around with a grin.

"No, I’m just worried about accidentally hurting you," Qi Xia clarified.

"Hurting me?"

Before Yun Yao and Chu Tianqiu could react, Qi Xia suddenly stepped forward, mimicking the way Qiao Jiajin had struck the black bear. He moved his shoulder with his waist, swinging his right arm like a rope, his fist twisting one hundred eighty degrees through the air.

Originally aimed at Chu Tianqiu’s chin, the punch instead landed squarely on his mouth, a clear sign that Qi Xia’s technique still needed work.

{Bang}!

Chu Tianqiu barely had time to react before taking the full brunt of the blow, letting out a howl as he collapsed to the ground like a felled tree.

Yun Yao gasped, covering her mouth with both hands, stunned at how the situation had escalated so quickly.

Qi Xia shook his slightly sore hand and stepped toward Chu Tianqiu again.

Blood poured from Chu Tianqiu’s mouth as he lay on the ground, his expression twisted with pain.

Qi Xia crouched down beside him, staring intently into his eyes as he spoke slowly and deliberately, "Chu Tianqiu, do you truly think I cannot see through your charade?"